Ball-governor for steam-engines



`(No Model.)

W. E BADGBR.

` BALL GOVERNOR FOR STEAM ENGINBSL r, u Y No'. 278,387..` N Patented. May.2.9,1883.

N. PETERS, Plmwuxhngnphar, wnmngnm. D. C.

4Urnreo .STATA-es PATENT f Orr-FIC WILLIAM E. ABanden, oF Quitter, MASSACHUSETTS.

BAL- i.-Govi-:RNOR ifo R VSTEAM -i-:Ne INES.

SPECIFICATION forming part df Letters Patent No. 278,387, dated May 29,- i883.

Application sied March 29,1883. (No model.)

To all whomtt mag/concern f Beit known thatfLiWILLIAM Ezels, BADGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of ,Massach usetts,^have invented certain new and uset'ul Im provements in Ball-Governors for Steamcompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, whichform va partof thisspeeiication.

This invention relates -to centrifugal ballgover'nors for regulating the speed ot' steam and otherfengines; and it consists in certain details of construction, `as hereinafter de- The drawings aecompanyin-gthis specification represent, in Figure l, a vertical cross-section of a governor containing my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end view ot" the shaft-support, hereinafter explained Vand Fig. 3, a horizontal cross-section through theballsand valvestem.

In Vsaid drawings,A represents the outer end of the 4valve-chest ot' the governor, the `capplate of which chest is'shownat A', such cappla'te,in the presentinstauce, being horizontal, while the valve-stem connecting With-the valve of` such chest is shown at B, such stem being vertical.

Upon one side of the capplate Af', I erect a curved standard or goose-neck, C, the top of which terminates in a vertical tubular head, D, the bore o of which is in axial alignment with the valve-stem B.

Within the bore of the head I) isa rotary tubular shaft, E, which isdriven by a mitergear, F, secured to its lower cud, below the bottom of the head D,this ruiter-gear revolvg ing with and being driven by a twin gear, G, secured to the inner end of a horizontal shaft, H, which isjournaled at such end in the base o f thegoosc-neek C. The outer end of the shaft H is jourualed in a hub, I, which constiattached to one end of the shaftv H., and. the

stress ot' the belt tends to wear oppositecorners ot' the box or hearing; hence the shaft,

The driving-pulley of4 the shaft H is shown after a short time, is thrown from its proper" adjustmentot' ninety degrees with the 4shaft-E, and the gears at once begin' to cut each other. `Myobjectin adapting the-bracket J to `be `changed in position relatively to' the belt ot' thefpulley M is to enable the outer end of the `shaft H to resist tothe best advantage the strains and thrusts due to the action of such belt, and insure a uniform wear upon thejournais o t' such shalt.

To the upper end of the tubular shaft E', I

aftix oppositely-disposed arms N N,-and tothe y extremity of each of these arms I pivot at its angle, by a horizontal pivot, b, a bell-crank lever, O, the upper and vertical arm ot' which is shownat c, and its horizontal arm at d, and I ,form `each lever O with a third and pendent arm, e, which, in a state of rest, isparallel, or

approximately' so, to the axis ofthe valve- Astem B. :The: arm e ot' each lever 0 is cyl-indrical, and-hasfa peripheral screW-threadto entera female thread cut axiallyin aball', P, I

the two balls being of like size, and constituting, in connection with a bow-spring., the governing agency of the device. The said spring is shown at Q as yoke-shaped, with its ends pivoted, respectively, to the upper arms, c c, ot' the levers Q, this spring, in common with governors of this class, tending to increase the gravitatin g effects of the balls l P.

Heretofore in governors ot' this class the position ofthe balls upon their suspensories has been unchangeable, the sensitiveness of the governor being adj-usted by changing the tension of the spring. In my governor the stress or tension ot the spring is uniform, and I adjust the seusitiveness .of the governor by changing the positions of the balls upon their suspensory rods e e, which is readily accomplished by screwing them up or down upon such rods. In this manner the adjustment is ,effected moreperfectly and uniformly `Ythan by changingnthejstress ot thespring, andthe conwhen atrest.

struction possesses certain mechanical advantages. A y

In lieu of screwing the balls P P upon the rods e, such .rods may pass loosely through the balls a'ndnuts screwed upon the rod upon opposite sides of each ball.

Po/enable the positions of the balls to be quickly and accurately adjusted to obtain any given number of revolutions of the engine, I engrave upon each rod e a scale of numerals, l, 2, 3, te., therelative positionsrof these nnmerals being such that when the balls are adjusted to correspond to them they indicate the number of revolutions the engine will make.

y It will be seen that I employ balls ot' small size, and the pivots b b are sufficiently far apart to permit the suspensories e c of' such balls to` assumeavertical position, orapproximately so, For this reason the balls swing freely upon their supports and the governor is p rendered very sensitive.

In ball-governors heretofore the suspenso'- ries ot' the balls do not drop to a vertical line,

. but are `maintained at an angle, and the weight ofthe ball must be overcome more or less entirely when the steam-pressure is at its lowest` point; hence the governor operates sluggishly at ya time when it should be the most sensitive. Iumy governor the weight ofthe ballsis neutral when the steam-pressureislowest,for the reason, as before stated, that such balls swing freely from their supports, and their weight has not to be overcome until the steam-press- -ure increases considerably.

The valve-stem B, which has rio/rotary motion, passes upward loosely through the bore loosely through the center of the hub R, and is stepped in and secured toadisk, j', disposed upon the top of such hub, the disk f being thereby prevented from turning in rotary motion and constituting the point of suspension of the valve-stem. Upon the top of the disk f, I place a bearing-plate, h, which has a vertical stem, t", erected upon it, such stem playing in a tubular head forming the upper part of a short standard, j, erected upon or secured to the hub R, and rotating with the latter, the stem being secured within the head by a setscrew, 7c. The parts R, f, h, t', and j constitute means for compensating for wear upon the upper support `ofthe valve-stem and for taking up any backlash that might otherwise result. As fast as any wear ensuesbetween the hub R and disk f the screw k is loosened, the plate 7L pressed lirmly down, and the screw tightened. I claim- 1. In a ball-governor, a bent spring, Q, in combination with two levers,each having three arms, c, d, and e, the balls Pon thelower arms, e, ot said levers, the pulley R, which engages with the inner arms, d, of said levers, and the valverod movable up and down with said'pulley, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination with an adjustable governor-ball and its actuating dev-ices, a suspensory for said ball, having a scale of numerals marked upon it to indicate the number ofrevo lutions ofthe engine, substantially as set forth.

3. The valve-stem B and the diskf, in which it terminates, in combination with theplate h, which bears against said disk, the rod z', rising from said plate, the hub R,`held against the under side of said disk, the -arm j, rigid with said hub, and having its upper end sleeved on said rod t', and the screw k, which holds said arm and pin together, substantially as set forth. v

In testimony whereof Iaftix my signature in presence of two witnesses. y

WILLIAM EZRABADGER. Witnesses:

H, E. LODGE, F. CURTIS. 

